Small discrete wire cable and flat wire cable are frequently used in wiring of printed circuits and other complicated electrical and electronic systems. Because of its economy, convenience and ease of manipulation as a wiring means for electrically interconnecting spaced components, flat cable has enjoyed increased popularity in recent years. Such cables may contact a large number, upwards of 50 or more, of small wire conductors of circular cross-section per inch of width. The electrical connection to such fine discrete wire cable or flat wire cable can be accomplished by stripping and soldering, but this practice is a delicate and time-consuming operation. Such manual slitting operations must be carried out with extreme care to insure the integrity of the insulating layers after the assembly is completed.
Prior patents disclose "U"-shaped insulation displacement contacts which provide two contact surfaces. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. of Hudson, Jr. et al 4,068,912 discloses such a U-shaped insulation displacing electrical connector to affect an insulation displacing engagement of the terminal with its respective conductor. Other prior patents disclose insulation displacement contacts which provide four points of contact or four contact surfaces to provide mating electrical engagement between conductive elements such as a flat cable. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. of Narozny, 3,990,767 discloses a tubular segment having sharpened edges at its free end which edges are used to pierce insulation and engage a conductor. Likewise, the U.S. Pat. No. of Huber 3,864,011 discloses two cantilever torsion bar L-shaped slotted terminals 80 and 82 which comprise contact terminals.
A common problem associated with the termination of such cable and wires is that the cable or wires may be inadvertently disengaged from their respective contacts either partially or totally.
Other electrical contacts of the type to which this invention relates are disclosed by the U.S. Pat. Nos. of Campbell et al 3,912,354 and Thelissen 4,025,141 and U.S. patent application entitled "Electrical Connector" having U.S. Ser. No. 874,451; filed in February of 1978 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.